Musa Na Allah, Sokoto
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised fresh concerns over the rising tide of multidimensional and monetary poverty across Nigeria, stressing the urgent need for greater financial investment in social sectors to reverse the disturbing trend.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a five-day workshop in Sokoto, the Chief of UNICEF’s Field Office in Sokoto, Mr. Michael Juma, represented by Mr. Isah Ibrahim, Social Policy Specialist, emphasized that poverty levels continue to climb despite increases in annual budgetary allocations across states.
The workshop, which focused on developing three-year Medium Term Sector Strategies (MTSS) for Health, Education, Social Protection, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), was organized by the Sokoto State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning with UNICEF’s support under the European Union-Sustainable and Innovative Social Protection Project.
Juma lamented that access to basic services remains far below expectations, particularly in Northern Nigeria, where vulnerable households are increasingly bearing the brunt of learning poverty, malnutrition, and lack of social protection.
He noted that the alarming reality of millions of out-of-school children, coupled with inadequate access to healthcare and safe drinking water, is a direct reflection of underfunded and poorly implemented social sector policies.
While commending the Sokoto State Government for its commitment to social protection programs, Juma insisted that budgetary provisions for children and vulnerable groups must not only be increased but also effectively executed to achieve tangible results.
He stressed the need for governments at all levels to prioritize child-centered interventions such as cash transfers, social health insurance schemes, nutrition programs, and policies that address the crisis of out of school children.
According to him, “It is not enough to allocate funds on paper. What matters most is translating these allocations into real actions that deliver healthcare, education, nutrition, and social protection directly to the children and households in need.”
Juma also called on the Sokoto State Government to seize the opportunity of transitioning from the traditional mode of budgeting to programme based budgeting, a process UNICEF is supporting in nine states across Nigeria. He noted that this shift would ensure a more efficient and result-oriented allocation of resources.
Highlighting the importance of collective responsibility, he urged governments, the private sector, civil society organizations, and community members to rally behind efforts aimed at reducing multidimensional poverty and driving human capital development.
In his remarks, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Abubakar Mohammad Zayyana, commended UNICEF for its consistent technical and financial support to the state.
Zayyana explained that UNICEF’s interventions align with the state’s development goals and the “Nine Smart Point Agenda” of Governor Ahmed Aliyu, which place priority on education, healthcare, and poverty reduction.
He reaffirmed the state government’s readiness to strengthen its partnership with UNICEF and other development partners to ensure that Sokoto remains on the path of sustainable growth and improved social welfare for its citizens.
